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Table of Contents
Case Study
Successful Data-Backed Extension of Niigata Engine Overhaul Onboard 7 Tugs
Table of Contents
Background
Industry
Marine
Solution
Engine Condition
Monitoring System
(ECMS)
Make & Model
Niigata Engines
Asset
Harbour Tugs
Objective
To minimize the cost and downtime associated with scheduled major overhauls by using data-driven, non-invasive diagnostics to determine actual engine health.
Challenge / Problem Context
High Overhaul Cost: All 7 vessels were due for major overhauls at 24,000 running hours as per OEM guidelines, costing approximately $2,50,000.
Significant Downtime: Each overhaul would have resulted in 18–20 days of vessel downtime, leading to operational and revenue loss.
Lifecycle Constraints: Each vessel has an expected lifecycle of ~65,000 hours, requiring two major overhauls (MOHs) before decommissioning.
What Did We Do?
Deployed Engine Condition Monitoring: Installed Neptunus’ Engine Condition Monitoring System on all 14 Niigata engines across 7 tugs to assess engine health beyond 24,000 hours.
Non-Invasive Assessment: Conducted a complete engine health check without opening the engines—using just two sensors per engine.
Delivered Data-Driven Insights: Provided a detailed, cylinder-specific report revealing that only two injectors needed replacement on select tugs.
Enabled Informed Decisions: Helped the customer make confident, data-backed decisions to defer major overhauls by addressing only the necessary faults.
Extended Lifecycle Efficiency: By safely extending the first MOH, the second MOH within the vessel lifecycle could be eliminated.
Results That We Achieved
Reduced Immediate Costs: The customer avoided the $2,50,000 overhaul cost for all 7 vessels by replacing only required parts.
Minimized Downtime: Vessel availability was maintained with minimal interruption, preserving operational revenue.
Lifecycle Savings Realized: With one Niigata Engine Services (MOH) eliminated across each vessel’s lifecycle, the customer saved $1,00,000 per vessel.
Improved Maintenance Planning: Cylinder-specific diagnostics enabled the customer to plan targeted maintenance, increasing confidence in operational safety and engine performance.
